Global shortage of affordable fertilisers will leave no household unscathed

Soaring costs mean that farmers the world over are testing the limits of how little fertiliser they can do without 

Group of white jumbo-bags with chemical fertilisers in a warehouse 

For the first time ever, farmers the world over — all at the same time — are testing the limits of how little chemical fertiliser they can apply without devastating their yields come harvest time. Early predictions are bleak.

In Brazil, the world’s biggest soybean producer, a 20% cut in potash use could bring a 14% drop in yields, according to MB Agro. In Costa Rica, a coffee co-operative representing 1,200 small producers sees output falling as much as 15% next year if the farmers miss even one-third of normal application.